Coming Home
by xcountrygurlx
Summary: Takes place 8 months after season 3 ends. My take on season 4, there is no Laura. Kris was only supposed to be in town for one night. She only needed one night to say goodbye to Wildfire and then she would be gone forever. But when Junior discovers her secret, he makes her stay so he can protect her.


Coming Home

So this story takes place at the beginning of season 4. There's no Laura.

Junior's P.O.V.

I sprinted from the house to the stables to collect some flashlights. It was the biggest storm of the year, and the power had gone out. The rain was coming down sideways and it was starting to flood. I was soaked by the time I reached the stables, flinging the doors open, trying to find shelter as quickly as possible. I opened the supply closet, fumbling around and grabbed as many flashlights as I could hold. I turned to dash back outside, but I stopped in my tracks when I heard a noise near the back of the barn. I turned around to check it out, making sure I had a tight grip on the flashlight so I could use it as a weapon if need be.

"Hello? Is someone there?" I shouted, making my presence known, incase it wasn't before.

When there was no answer, I continued to make my way to the back of the stables. I heard some more rustling around. I quickly turned the corner to see what the source of the noise was and nearly slammed into it.

My mouth opened and no matter how much my brain was telling it to shut, it wouldn't. I tried to formulate a sentence, or anything really, to say. My eyes were glued on hers, which were wide open and scared.

"I just came to see Wildfire, I promise." She held her hands up in a defensive way. I nodded before putting my flashlights down on the ground.

"Kris…" I said, searching for something to follow up with, but that was all that came.

"I'll leave." She volunteered, collecting her jacket, which was laid on the ground, soaking wet.

"It's crazy out there, you can't go out there Kris." I grabbed her arm.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come." She said, tears forming in her eyes.

"It's okay. I'm glad you did." A small smile spread across my face. Thunder clapped outside and I felt the ground shake. She looked back at Wildfire one last time, petting him on the nose, kissing him, and then pushing her way past me.

"Wait Kris, where are you going?" I turned around.

"To where I came from." She simply said, giving me a sad smile.

"And where would that be?"

"Somewhere far, far away. Except it's just about the opposite of a fairytale." She chuckled.

"Stay the night at least. You're not going to be getting anywhere tonight. All of the roads are closed because of the storm." She stopped in her tracks. She hesitated.

"Junior, I can't stay. I don't belong here anymore. Your dad hates me, I couldn't go inside."

"Well good thing he's not here then. It's just Dani and me tonight, he's away on business for the rest of the night." She still looked reluctant.

"It's just one night Kris. You can come and go without anyone else knowing you were here." It was an offer she couldn't refuse. It was storming outside. By the looks of it, she had walked here.

"Okay. But I'm gone in the morning." She said reluctantly. I smiled and gathered the flashlights in my arms. I shrugged off my jacket and placed it on her shoulders. I opened the stable doors again and ran out. She followed me and shut the door behind her. I looked behind me to see that she was pretty far behind. I wasn't surprised, she probably wasn't in the shape she was in when she was a jockey. We ran to the back door of the house. She followed me inside, taking a deep breath once we were out of the rain and in the heat. I noticed that the lights were already back on.

"You alright?" I asked as she shrugged my jacket off her shoulders, which was now drenched. She pulled her hair out of her face. I noted her pale skin. She must have had a long trip here, especially in the rain. She nodded to my question. Dani must be in her room, seeing as she was nowhere to be seen or heard. I led Kris upstairs to my room, even though she didn't need to be led.

"Here's some things you can wear for tonight. I'll throw your wet clothes in the dryer." I told her, handing a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants to her. She thanked me and shut the door to the guest bedroom. About two minutes later, she opened the door and handed me her wet clothes.

"I'll get you an extra toothbrush and towels and things if you want to shower."

"That'd be great, thanks." She said. I showed her where the extra towels were and left to throw her clothes in the dryer. I heard the shower turn on from the guest bathroom and smiled. At least she would get a good night sleep here, where it's warm and dry.

I knocked on Dani's door. I heard her feet pad across the carpet to open the door.

"What now?" She asked, rolling her eyes. She was only staying here because she knew Dad would be out of town and she didn't want to be alone during the storm. Her and Dad still weren't on the best terms after the match race, which her and I had made up from.

"So, we have an unforeseen visitor tonight…"

"What, did you finally get your period?" She teased.

"It's Kris." I cut to the point. She stopped laughing,

"Why's she here?"

"I'm not really sure yet. But I couldn't just let her leave, it's pouring outside." She nodded.

"Where was she?"

"She wouldn't really say. I figured you would know better than I would. You were the one to see her last." Dani pondered this for a few seconds, but then shook her head no.

"Alright, well I just wanted to let you know. She says she'll be gone by morning."

"Maybe it's a good thing Junior." She said to me as I turned to walk back to my room. Now it was my turn to shake my head no.

"If she leaves in the morning, I promise you, it will not be a good thing." I responded, not turning around to face her.

I went down to the kitchen to make some coffee, knowing she would want a cup when she got out of the shower. While the coffee brewed, I put my head in my hands. I couldn't believe that she was back, all of a sudden, out of the blue. She had been gone for almost 8 months now, why did she choose now to come back? I was pulled from my thoughts when I heard the stairs creak behind me. I turned and saw Kris slowly making her way down the stairs, having a death grip on the railing.

"Hey." She said quietly.

"Have a nice shower?"

"Yeah, it was great, thanks." She smiled timidly. She has changed so much since she left. She lost a lot of weight and the passion in her eyes was gone. Probably because she can't race anymore.

"Do you want a cup of coffee?"

"That'd be great." She nodded and I poured her a cup.

"Can I get you something to eat? You look like you haven't eaten in days."

"That would be great actually, do you have ice cream?" I chuckled.

"Dani Davis is here. Of course we have ice cream." I turned to the freezer and pulled out Mint Chocolate Chip, her favorite.

"That's my favorite flavor." She smiled.

"I know." I stated, smiling back. I got us both a bowl and I sat down next to her.

"So why are you really back Kris?"

"I'm not back. I was just stopping to see Wildfire."

"Why now?"

"Because I really missed him. I needed to tell him some things."

"Like what?"

"What's with all the questions?" She asked, sounding annoyed with my pestering.

"Sorry, it's just, you disappear for eight months, and then all of a sudden show up again with no explanation. I think we all deserve some answers." I said softly, trying to get her to open up to me.

"You know why I left. I almost ruined Jean and Pablo's lives. They hate me, I had to go, I had no where else to go. Junior, it's just easier this way, trust me. The less you know, the better." She said, looking down at her bowl of ice cream.

"Well how about you at least tell me where you've been the past eight months?"

"Colorado."

"What have you been doing?"

"There's this ranch there that hired me. They're really nice people. How about you?"

"Well, I've been running the farm with my dad, and dabbling a bit in the eco friendly business with my friend Calvin from high school."

"Sounds like it keeps you busy." I shrugged.

"I guess. It's pretty much just work all the time around here. No time for a girlfriend, or any fun at all really. Dani's got her equine center and everything, Matt has the dude ranch, and it just seems like everyone else is moving on with their lives except me." She shook her head, smiling.

"What?"

"It seems like you've changed the most. You're definitely going places Junior Davis." She told me. I smiled. No one has told me that in my life. Not my dad, or my teachers. Kris was always a big supporter of everything I did, or at least was passionate about.

I cleaned up our ice cream bowls and got her set up in the guest bedroom.

"So, if you need anything, you know where my room is." I said as she climbed into the bed.

"Junior?" She said as I was on my way out. I turned around.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you." I watched the smile spread across her face. I couldn't help but notice how small she looked in that big bed.

"Anytime." I flipped the light switch, turning off the lights and made my way to my own room. I picked up Charlie, a gray cat that I had adopted recently.

"So what do you think bud? Why is she back?" I scratched him between the ears as he purred. I climbed under my covers and felt Charlie moving around to make himself comfortable at the foot of my bed. I set my alarm for eight the next morning, so I knew I wouldn't miss Kris leaving.

I couldn't sleep knowing Kris was in the room right next to mine for one night only. I wanted her to be right next to me for the rest of my life. I didn't realize I still had feelings for her until I saw her again. It was easier to suppress my feelings when she wasn't here. This was my second chance and I wasn't about to let it go.

I stayed up all night thinking about what I could say to her to get her to stay. I eventually fell asleep around four in the morning, only to be jolted awake by my blaring alarm the next morning. I groaned, knowing I got no where near enough sleep last night, but knowing I had to get up. I knew Kris, and she would try to sneak out of the house without saying goodbye. I checked the dryer when I got up, and her clothes were still in there, which was a good sign; she hadn't left yet. I made another pot of coffee and waited. Eventually nine rolled around and she still wasn't awake, which was weird for Kris. Maybe she didn't get enough sleep either.

I heard her moving around in her room for a while until I finally decided to go up and see what was taking her so long.

"Hey Kris, what's taking you so long?" I asked, knocking lightly on the door. I didn't get an answer, so I pushed the door open a small bit and peaked inside. She was sitting on the side of the bed with her head between her knees.

"What's wrong?" I asked, moving into the room. She lifted her head slowly and I gasped. I made my way to her quickly.

"Kris, come on, talk to me, what's going on?" I asked, worried. I grabbed a washcloth off the nightstand and held it to her nose, which was gushing with blood. I watched as her eyelids slowly opened and closed and her lips moved slowly, looking dry and chapped.

"I need you to take me to my motel." She said quietly, almost inaudible.

"You aren't going anywhere like this. What's going on?"

"Junior, I need you to take me there." She said again.

"Why, what's there that you need so bad?" I asked hastily, grabbing another towel for her nose.

"My pills. I need them."

"Your pills for what?" I asked, thinking quickly, trying not to get blood everywhere.

"Junior," she said and I finally looked into her eyes, "I'm sick."


End file.
